


Dogs Keep A Promise A Person Cant

by asightea



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Dogs, F/M, Il Mostro, Pre-Canon, This is really just a sweet story about Will and his first dog, hannibal is hinted at but he’s not really here folks sorry, inspired by Kodaline - All I Want music video
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:42:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26245099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asightea/pseuds/asightea
Summary: Before Will was an FBI agent, he was a struggling student trying to get his Master’s at  GWU, fresh off the New Orlean’s police force. His world changes when he finds a small trembling creature on his porch in the middle of a snow storm.
Relationships: Will Graham/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 11





	Dogs Keep A Promise A Person Cant

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mothdotjpeg](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mothdotjpeg/gifts).



Will’s love of dogs wasn’t something that was always with him. Sure, he liked animals, but with how his father and him moved around so much as a kid, the chances of getting a pet were next to zero. He never really saw the appeal as a kid. He’d only seen them as pets on tv, treated like accessories with little to no personality.

His dad wasn’t much of a pets guy himself. “If I wanted an extra carpet’s worth of fur, I'd buy another damn rug.” He’d huffed one sunny afternoon, their bodies bobbing with the splashes of the tide beneath their boat. Will, no older than eleven, had asked the question purely to see the answer. And like that, the topic was not approached again. Later, when he was an adult that could decide if he wanted a pet or not, he’d be too busy with school and then patrol work. The thought of a pet really never crossed his mind. The closest he got was an old tabby his ex had named Simon, he was a rescue with a bobbed tail and drooling problem if you pet him enough.

No, he’d really never given thought to a fuzzy companion. That was, until one frigid evening in Washington, D.C.

He shuddered as he tightened his coat around his shoulders, his heavy book bag smacking against his hip as the fingers of the cruel wind reached under his jacket, making his jaw tremble uncontrollably. Snow crunched beneath his feet as he avoided the black ice that had littered the sidewalk in dark, glistening patches. As a person who’d grown up in the heat, D.C’s winters could be brutal. 

He sighed as he finally reached his porch, gripping the railing just in time to save himself from sprawling across snow-covered steps. He gasped, his heart pounding in his chest as he righted himself and let out a sigh of relief. Chuckling, he moved up the steps just to stop point-blank at his door.

A small shivering figure was huddled into the corner adjacent to his doorwell. White and covered in snow, it blinked up at him with sweetly scared brown eyes. 

Frowning, he stopped and moved to kneel in front of the trembling creature. “Hey there,” His voice came out soft, and he smiled as he watched the creature's tail _thump thump thump_ against his porch’s cheap carpet.

He sat criss-cross on the floor, taking in the poor thing that looked to be more snow than dog, thick balls of ice stuck to its underbelly and paws. 

“Looks like you got into some trouble,” He murmured, smiling as that tail thumped again in response. He offered the back of his hand slowly, remembering a friend having shown him how to greet dogs.

The creature blinked, moving to sniff the hand tentatively, before two white ears perked from its head as it suddenly charged and knocked into Will’s chest, sending him sprawling with snow flying in all directions. 

“Woah!” He chuckled, catching the creature and grinning as it lapped away snowflakes from his cheeks excitedly.

“Alright, alright, let's get you inside.” He huffed, pushing the trembling dog lightly off of him. After standing and struggling to fish his keys out with frozen fingers, he shouldered his door open and motioned for the dog to enter. When it didn't rush inside, he frowned, turning to see it sat perfectly content, blinking up at him still with those chocolate eyes. 

He cleared his throat. “Well, go on.” He motioned, and when the dog made no move to stand, he sighed defeatedly. He kicked his shoes against the door frame to rid them of any lingering snow, before circling behind the dog to try to coax it through the door.

After spending entirely too long struggling to push the dog inside, Will opted to drag it in using an old towel. The dog could hardly be budged onto the cloth, but once he got it’s butt on, he quickly dragged it in like it was on a sled, it’s pink tongue lolling out of its mouth happily all the while.

“Yeah, I bet you’re just having a blast.” He sighed, taking the dog straight to his shower stall in the bathroom. 

Closing it in, he shed his winter clothes and book bag before quickly returning, opening the door again to find her just as he left her: happily sitting in wait for him. Chuckling at the absurdity of the image, he leaned down to start picking snow off of her fur. “Never thought I’d have my own abominable snowman.” He smiled, tossing a snowball towards the shower drain.

After a wrestle with the dish soap, shower head, and many warm licks to his arms, hands, and face, he found himself kneeled on his bathroom floor, lap full of a wriggly pup as he toweled her off. “Didn’t think you could collect so much dirt in the snow, huh girl?” He smiled, her tail wagging in answer. 

His phone buzzed on the sink, making him sigh as he reached for it. The chunky brick lit up with a message on the small preview screen outside.

**New Text: Cali from SOC**

Will’s lips drew together at the notification from his classmate, anxiety twisting in his stomach as he set the phone down, turning his attention back to the dog in his lap.

“I can last four years on the force, but get cheated on once? Can’t even bring myself to read a damn text from a woman.” He shook his head, the dog responding in kind by taking the moment to shake herself, splattering Will and every visible surface of his bathroom with remaining water.

He cringed, one eye screwed shut against the droplet that made it in before he could close it. He sighed as the dog looked to him absently. “My thoughts exactly.” He chuckled, being rewarded with more frantic chin licks. 

They spent the rest of the night curled up next to a space heater on his cheap bed, Will moving between his laptop and combing out the dog's white curls with a plastic comb. He was meant to be studying for his exam that week, but he quickly found himself falling down the rabbit hole of dog care and training forums littered about the internet. He’d already done what his initial searches suggested: Post ‘found dog’ messages to local shelter sites, craigslist, and set up notifications for lost dog posts that matched his new companion’s description.

His attention was dragged away from his computer when he heard a sudden ‘snap!’. Looking down, he watched as the tortoise shell comb fell apart in his palm, one piece still firmly lodged in a knot on the dog's leg. Snorting, he watched as the dog leaned to tentatively sniff the comb, before nibbling it softly. 

“Well, guess we’ll need to go to the store, huh Bonnie?” He took her answering wriggles as an affirmative.

~

The next day, the sun melted the snow enough for Will to brave the roads with his crappy car, that while faithful, had definitely seen better days. He laid down a blanket in his backseat, helping a wriggly Bonnie up into the car, and found she was most content standing on the door marking up the window with the wetness of her nose.

The ride was short, even with Will’s careful driving. He fashioned an old rope into a makeshift collar and leash for Bonnie, fixing it around her neck before eventually scooping her up to place onto the ground. Had he tried to coax her out of the car by herself? Absolutely. Was she having any of that? Of course not. 

“Lucky you’re a little old lady.” He muttered, closing the door and chuckling as she trotted happily beside him, avoiding receding snow piles as much as possible.

The store was huge, bigger than anything Will imagined to be necessary. Ducking his head as he donned his glasses, he ended up grabbing a cart as unease settled in his stomach. Quickly wrapping his rope twice around his wrist and moving down the closest aisle to the door, he tried to seem as invisible as possible. Looking to Bonnie out of the corner of his eye, he smiled as she trotted confidently, almost his polar opposite. Looking back to his list, a piece of paper with messy handwriting copied from a site he found called ‘PawsitiveTraining.net’, he sighed just as Bonnie stopped to sniff a pile of multicolored tennis balls.

“Great idea, third thing on the list.” He smiled, moving to grab a bundle and toss them into the basket. 

“Aww, Will I didn’t know you had a dog.” 

Blue eyes blinked up as he frowned around the frame of his glasses, the source of the sound coming from the other end of the aisle.

It was a woman, dressed in a baggy bright orange hoodie with a black apron tied around her waist. Her hair was a deep blue, and it was pulled up in a messy bun with a few wayward pieces falling to frame her face. Will blinked at her in confusion, before recognition clicked into place.

“Oh, Cali? Hey!” He smiled, the woman’s returning grin vibrant. 

She was one of his classmates in his sociology course, he’d missed a class one day and she’d offered to get coffee while he copied down her notes. They’d exchanged numbers and had texted, minimally, since.

She smiled as she knelt down to Bonnie, who wriggled as she charged into her arms.

Will blinked at the utter excitement that seemed to burst out of the dog. He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.“Uh, I don’t- i mean, I didn’t, have a dog. She showed up on my porch last night during the storm.”

Cali blinked, before nodding as she stood. “Yeah, big storms like that tend to spook dogs. You already post Found Dog things online?” 

Will nodded, giving a little slack as Bonnie moved to snuffle through a bin of chew sticks shaped like toothbrushes of various colors. 

“Yeah, just here to get the essentials while I wait to hear back.” He crinkled the list in his hand, pushing his glasses up his nose as he cleared his throat.

His awkwardness seemed to have no effect on the woman, she simply grinned. “Be happy to help, might even give ya my employee discount.” She held out her hand in offering.

Will chuckled softly, “Thought they saved those for the second date.” He teased, offering over the list.

Cali wriggled her nose contemplatively as she inspected the list, filling his head with blonde witches from the 60s, before smiling at him. “I might be able to make an exception for ya.” 

~  
With the aid of the ever gracious Cali, Will found his otherwise empty apartment stocked with dog bedding, blankets and likely more toys than Bonnie could ever play with. 

Every night Will would turn out the lights, Bonnie tucked safely in her bed as he slid into his own. Every morning he would stir to find the small fur ball curled into his side, wedged between his legs, or sometimes directly on top of his chest. Will realized he didn’t mind; even found it comforting after a few weeks. 

His patrol days were far behind him, but every now and then his overactive imagination was kind enough to drag up some of his case’s classic hits, sprinkling in the crimes of those he was currently studying, just for added flavor. 

Inky darkness surrounded him, the only sound his stuttering breaths and the soft metallic shift of his pistol as he cupped it in his palms. Breathing through the eerie feeling that filled him, he moved forward, his footsteps echoing against the wet cement floor. 

He rounded a corner and found blue moonlight filtered in through a dirty window, casting the large room ahead in a familiar glow. Swallowing, he stopped, pressing his back against a cool wall as he peered into what looked like the open floor of an abandoned factory. The soft light illuminated the debris that littered the floor, pooling puddles of water from previous storms now sat so still they looked more like oil slicks. In the farthest corner, his eye was drawn to a translucent tarp that swayed in the slight breeze. A construction light backlit it, and Will could hear a wet cutting sound from a handsaw emanating from the other side of the plastic. 

Stepping towards it slowly, a shudder wracked him as the sounds seemed to rattle in his skull. 

**_Verr-vip, verr-vip, verr-vip…_**

He timed his steps with the slow dragging, his breathing and heart rate picking up as he inched closer to the tarp, gun pointed to the floor. 

Holding his breath, he whipped his gun around the tarp, yelling “NOPD, freeze!”

The room, however, was empty. Instead, he found a small patch of thick underbrush and fruit on the ground, in the middle lay a pale mannequin laid out in a mockery of some painting he couldn’t quite place. Frowning, he slowly stepped in, crouching down to take in the arrangement. His head jerked up as he heard soft classical music play in the distance, had it always been playing?

_**”So nice of you to join me, detective.”** _

Will pivoted and peered up just in time to see a large black mass crowd over him. He struggled to bring his gun up, and grunted as he tripped, something cold tangling around his ankles as he fell onto the hard floor. His gun skittered out of his hands and across the cement, making him curse as he swatted uselessly in its direction. Panic filled him as he instead scooted back, his heart in his throat as he watched the mannequin move amongst it’s shrubbery. He quickly realized her limbs were not made of plastic, but were instead pale, dead flesh. She reached for him with purple fingers after his feet slipped from her grip. He watched her mouth hang loose, as if her jaw had been detached from her head, crying out in a silent scream as she moaned at him pleadingly.

Will gasped as he pushed back further and further, his back suddenly hitting a hard wall just as the black mass started to take shape where he’d been kneeling. It seemed to twist and shift, like black smoke that had fear gripping Will’s lungs.

 _ **“Shhh. No need to panic, dear Will. I will make you part of my design yet.”**_ The beast cooed, its voice deep as its form became vaguely human shaped, horns sprouting from its head as it took a step towards him. The ground seemed to rumble with each of the beast's movements as it stomped closer. He felt it like punches to his chest, pounding over and over.

Will’s eyes suddenly shot open as wrenched out of bed, choking on air that seemed too thin for his lungs. His surroundings melted into his apartment, a whining Bonnie perched on his lap as she licked at his face in concern.

He placed his hand gently on her, panting as he let the last of his dread evaporate from his limbs. A soft chuckle bubbled up from his throat. Smiling apologetically, he scratched behind her ear. “Sorry to scare ya, girl. Thanks for the wake up call.” 

Her tail seemed to thump in acceptance, and he sighed as he blinked to the computer screen he’d apparently fallen asleep in front of. The paper read “Foreign Psychopathic Identifying Strategies”, his current paragraph was halfway through describing the vicious murders of a cold case in Florence. 

“Thanks, _‘Il Mostro’_.” He muttered, shutting his computer closed with more force than might’ve been necessary. 

After that night, Bonnie often served as the guardian to Will’s nightmares, always waking him seemingly right before things got too bad. It made him appreciate how they could look out for each other, each in their own ways.

~

The small changes in Will’s life because of Bonnie almost went by him unnoticed. He found himself spending more time outside, every week trying to find a new outdoor area for him and Bonnie to run away to. 

When he realized part of the problem was people, he started taking her out to the large parks that bordered the city. There, Will and Bonnie would venture around and work on Bonnie's recall. He found she responded easiest with clicks and whistles, especially at long distances. Eventually, he resolved that he would get his own stretch of land somewhere, when he was done with school. Maybe get another dog to join Bonnie. 

Cali had texted as Will was headed out with his books and treat bag in tow, planning to get some studying done under a tree somewhere far away from the incessant noise of the city with the dog. On a last minute whim, he invited Cali along.

“Doing this more for you than me, little lady.” He pointed at Bonnie as they continued to the car, the dog’s tongue lolling out of her mouth as she panted excitedly. 

~

Will stuffed his hands in his pockets as he and Cali walked side by side, Bonnie weaving between their legs and stopping every now and then to sniff at the plants that lined the gravel path they walked. Cali had her hair pinned up messily, the blue now replaced with a pastel purple. The hue reminded Will of the purple roses with pink tips he would pass on his way to class. He wondered idly if she saw the rose bushes every day too, if the flowers subconsciously influenced her color choice. He smiled softly as he watched her tuck a stray strand behind her ear. He couldn’t remember ever seeing her hair in a neat style, and found he liked that about her. 

Sweet brown eyes caught his, and they both awkwardly ducked their heads as they stared at their feet. Cali giggled softly, and it warmed something in Will’s chest.

“Do you uh, come out here with Bonnie a lot?” 

The rocks beneath their feet crunched, and Will took a deep breath as he nodded. The pollen in the warm air was really starting to kick up, spring now in full swing. “Sometimes, yeah. I tend to mix up where we go.”

“Always looking for something new?” She teased, giving him a knowing look.

Will chuckled to himself, shrugging. “Usually not the biggest person on change, actually.” 

“You changed for Bonnie.” She pointed out, and Will blinked as it was brought to his attention. 

“Huh. Yeah, guess I did.” 

Cali smiled, moving to elbow his side lightly. “See? It’s not so bad.” 

He smiled too, taking the push in stride. “You some kinda expert?” 

Cali chuckled, shrugging as she looked up at the green canopy they passed under. “Change is unavoidable, better to roll with the punches before you get knocked on your ass.” 

Will chuckled, pursing his lips. “Which philosopher said that?” 

Cali smirked at him, “The ever wise Calypso, of course.” 

Will blinked, stopping short on the path. “Is that what your name is short for?”

Cali shook her head, laughing as she turned to face him, but continued walking backwards. “Yes, and if you call me that, I’ll show you how wise I can get.” 

Will brows raised as he grinned at her. “That a threat, or a promise?” 

“Test me and find out!” She said, turning on her heel and continuing down the road towards Bonnie. Will shook his head and chuckled, before jogging after her.

~

They found themselves at the side of the river that ran through the large arboretum, cool air whipping past as Bonnie barked and trailed closer and closer to the water’s edge. It cut through the stifling springtime air in a way Will welcomed. The rush of the river settled something in him, memories of impossibly hot summers in the thick of a Louisiana bayou filling his head. His hands suddenly itched for a fishing rod and line. 

The sound of Cali chuckling as she tossed a stick for Bonnie pulled Will from his thoughts, making him smile as he watched the small dog yap before bounding across the rocky shore for it. 

“She really likes you.” He observed, making Cali look to him with a warm smile before looking back at the dog. 

“I’ve always loved dogs. Just never been able to have my own. My apartment building has a strict no pet policy.” She bent down to grab another stick, Bonnie racing back with her other stick before quickly dropping it in favor of the new one. 

Will chuckled as he watched the newest stick swing through the air, Bonnie's tail wagging wildly as she chased after it. “Well, you’re welcome to stop by to visit Bonnie, if you’d like.” He cringed as he watched the stick land in the water, Bonnie stopping short before whimpering as she tried reaching for the stick without needing to step into the frigid river.

“I’d love that! Aw Bonnie hun I’m sorry, here lemme help.” Cali called, running ahead to reach out on one leg towards the twig.

Will barely had time to react as one moment Cali was hovering over the shimmering waters edge, the next her worn tennis shoe was slipping on the rock she precariously balanced on. With a blur of purple and a yell, Will watched her flop into the shallow stream.

“Oh shit! You alright?” He asked, charging after her and stepping through the water to help her up. He was glad he had the foresight to wear his hiking boots, the chill of the water was bad enough on the _outside_ of his shoes. 

Cali shuddered, her front soaked and mud splattering her face. “N-not as graceful as I thought I was.” She laughed softly, and Will smiled with her as he helped her up the shore to a large rock that was safely tucked away from the river. 

“Think the sweater got most of it, should probably take it off to tie around your waist and dry. Here,” He shouldered off his own jacket, wrapping it around her shoulders before he could process fully how the act might be interpreted.

Her smile was sheepish, but she accepted the jacket still. “Thanks, here.” She patted the rock next to her, and Will smiled as he settled on the edge. He glanced at Bonnie and found her nosing at something in a shallow pool, likely chasing various water critters. 

He looked back to Cali, frowning softly. “You uh, you got a little-“ He pointed to her cheek, making her blink before he smiled and swiped mud from her cheek bone.

She laughed awkwardly in surprise, clearing her throat as she pushed her wet hair from her face. “You’re pretty slick, you know.” She grinned, and Will smiled as he glanced to her lips before meeting her gaze again. 

“Dunno, Clementine, you’re the one sliding into rivers-“ He was abruptly cut off as a soft, if cold, kiss was pressed to his mouth. 

Blinking, he smiled as he returned the gentle touch, lacing his fingers into lavender hair as he deepened the kiss.

They both pulled back when they were breathless, and Will smiled as they tilted their foreheads together. 

“Call me Clementine again and I’ll smack you over the head.” She whispered, just barely audible over the rushing river. Will couldn’t help the hearty laugh he let out. 

\--  
Cali and Will ended up spending more days than not together. Between studying and training Bonnie, they’d found life was easier with the other there. When Cali invited Will to a friends party, however, things didn’t go so smoothly. 

The screen door to Cali’s friend’s home slammed behind Will as he stomped down the stairs, Bonnie yipping as she scrambled to keep up with his pace.

“Will! Will, wait, please-” 

“Don’t worry about it Cali, it’s fine.” He said, turning down the sidewalk and heading back towards his apartment. He kicked himself for carpooling with Cali, it never turned out well if he didn’t drive himself.

“No, it’s not fine. You just.. If you just tried harder, maybe they would-”

“What, maybe they’d like the freak a little more?” Will scoffed, his grip on Bonnie’s leash tightening as she tugged him forward. 

Cali stopped short on the sidewalk, crossing her arms and frowning. “You know you’re just assuming the worst of them, right? You need to give people the benefit of the doubt-” Bonnie whimpered before barking between them, cutting Cali off.

Will chuckled bitterly, shaking his head as he stopped and looked at her over his shoulder, lightly tugging the leash to stop Bonnie’s sounds. “No, Cali. Just because you have it easy, doesn't mean that's how the world works. It’s not sunshine and damn _rainbows_ all the time-”

“ _Excuse_ me?”

Regret instantly curdled in his stomach, and Will's brain scrambled to backtrack, just as he felt Bonnie jerk hard enough to rip her leash from his hand. 

“I, ah- Bonnie!” He shouted, the two of them turning to see the white dog yap as she took off down the sidewalk. They shared a quick look before following, chasing after the dog and calling out her name. She turned a corner, Will’s old instincts from homicide kicking in as he breathed with his strides, bolting as he narrowed in on the white blur Bonnie turned into. 

“Will!” Cali shouted, just as he watched Bonnie cross the outlet of an alley. Will’s brain had no time to process Cali’s words before he saw the blur of a green truck and felt a pulling sensation at his waist, his limbs wrenching back as both he and Cali spilled to the ground. 

The honks and loud sigh of the garbage truck’s brakes made Will’s head throb as he groaned softly. Pain shot through his limbs, radiating up from his tailbone that had connected with the sidewalk. Cali coughed out in pain somewhere behind his head, making him blink as he realized he’d fallen half onto her. 

“Jesus! Ya’ll okay?” He heard a man ask as he hopped off the truck, Will grunting as he moved to shift his weight off of Cali. 

A rough hand was offered, and Will took it as the garbage man helped him up. “Ugh, yeah I think so, you alright Cali?” 

The girl nodded, sitting up and rubbing the back of her head. “Gotta watch where you’re goin’, Will.” She breathed, accepting the hands both the men extended for her. 

Will's smile was sheepish and apologizing, before he remembered why he hadn’t been fully paying attention. “Fuck! Bonnie-”

“Might be better if we drive around for her, she can’t have gone far.” Cali cut in, and Will looked to her hesitantly. He could see the determination in her eye matched the tight feeling of responsibility he had in his chest. 

Eventually, he gave a curt nod. “Alright.” 

-  
They’d driven around the blocks many times, hope slowly dwindling the more they searched and called out Bonnie’s name from rolled down windows. Will chewed on the corner of his thumb as he tapped his leg, blue eyes searching the streets anxiously.

At the end of their rope, with the last of the daylight to go by, they decided to check the closest park.

What they found had many mixed feelings tightening in Will’s chest. He looked to Cali before looking back as they parked curbside to the lush oasis in the middle of paved suburbs. 

In a small area surrounded by rusting chicken wire, a small boy giggled as he ran, throwing a bright blue tennis ball for a thrilled Bonnie to go chasing after. 

Both Will and Cali got out of the car, Will stuffing his hands in his pockets as they approached the enclosure slowly. The mother who watched the boy and dog looked to be near close to tears, clutching the fluorescent orange leash Bonnie had been wearing like it might disappear otherwise. She paid no mind to the odd couple watching the dog and her son play.

“Good job, Lily! Get tha ball!” The child slurred, giggling as he stumbled and threw the ball awkwardly to bounce off the ground. A sadness reached Will’s eyes, and Cali frowned before leaning over to him.

“Are they her-“

Will nodded solemnly, knowing he should’ve thought this was a possibility, and had been really all he wanted for ‘Lily’. The pure joy both her and the child seemed to be consumed by was one he both envied, and didn’t have the will to encroach upon. He could see being with her original family, where she belonged, made the dog’s eyes bright with life.

Cali’s smile was soft, and she placed a gentle hand on the empath’s shoulder. “You gave that kid his dog back, ya know. Not only did you do everything you could for her, but your goodness brought goodness to some perfect strangers.”

Will’s breath shook as he felt his eyes prick with tears, Cali’s words both sweet and cutting.

They both watched as she let the melancholy silence stretch between them, only punctuated by enthusiastic barks and screams from the enclosure.

Cali took in a breath. “You’re right, about the world being dark.” 

Will frowned, swallowing as he glanced to the girl's profile. Purple hair, tangled from their run framed her face. Her sweet brown eyes seemed to glow in the twilight lighting, only aided by a nearby streetlight. She didn’t meet his gaze as she continued to watch the scene in front of them.

Her hands slid to push into her pockets, mirroring him. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t make it a little brighter, even if it’s just small stuff.” she continued.

She shrugged, finally meeting his eye, her smile saccharine as she watched a tear streak down Will’s cheek. 

“Small stuff leads to bigger stuff.” She tilted her head towards the boy, and Will chuckled softly as he wiped his eye while looking back to Lily. 

Something in him ached at the thought of losing the sweet dog, but he knew she would make that child’s life all the better.

“...you mind drivin’ me home?” Will said, after his tears had passed, and the mother joined in on her child’s game.

Cali smiled, nodding as she patted his shoulder. “Yeah, I can do that.”

**Epilogue**

Will and Cali smiled as they chatted on a bench on campus, a small brown mop of fur curled up in Will’s lap.

A woman blinked as she approached them, holding up her phone. “Cali? I got your text, what’s the emergency?” 

Two sets of blue eyes met, and Will blinked as he frowned before looking to Cali as well. The woman seemed to giggle as she covered her face mischievously.

“Okay, so I _may_ have embellished. The emergency is I needed you to meet this lovely pup.” She smiled, moving to scratch the wiry haired dog’s butt, who’s tail immediately thudded a mile a minute against the bench. 

The stranger smiled, confusion coloring her bright features that were surrounded by deep brown lochs. She knelt down to say hello to the dog, and Will felt an ease in how she carried herself. She had the same safe feeling Cali tended to give off.

“Oh, sorry.” Cali smiled, as if introducing the two of them was an afterthought. “Alana, this is Will. Will, this is Alana, she’s in my pre-med pysch class.”

Brilliant blue eyes smiled sweetly as she awkwardly glanced between the dog to Will and back again. “Nice to meet ya, and who’s this?” 

Will smiled as he ruffled the fur on his mutt’s back. “This is Clyde. Just adopted him yesterday.” 

Alana’s small gasp made Cylde’s butt wriggle excitedly as he crawled forward to give her better access for scratching. Will wondered idly what it would be like to kiss someone like her.

**Author's Note:**

> For a friend who recently suffered a loss, hope this makes you smile 💕


End file.
